The Atromos is the default firearm of the Elysian infantry. It is a sturdy, effective weapon capable of delivering a powerful penetrating blow while retaining simplicity and a ‘back to basics’ style of design.
Producer Information Designer: Elysian Celestial Empire. Manufacturer: Elysian Empire. Price: Military issue. Not for sale.
Nomenclature Information Name: Atromos. Type: Particle Beam Rifle. Role: Anti-Personnel, Anti-Material. Length: The length of the rifle is twenty-nine inches (without bayonet) and while largely invisible the barrel extends sixteen inches within the body of the gun. Mass: The weight of the rifle is kept down through the use of ceramics and composites and so while compact its weight is only 3.2kg.
Projection/ammo type: Hydrogen molecules.
Firing Mechanism: The rifle functions first through treating hydrogen (stored in its ammo clips) in a series of chambers. The first chamber ionises the hydrogen so that its molecules are carrying one too many electrons and in the second they are gathered around a high energy electrode. The polarity of the electrode is then reversed and this change of charge electrostatically repels the negative ions to near the velocity of light – the resulting high energy beam of anions passes through a secondary chamber filled with low pressure gas. Collisions with the gas strip the extra electrons from the anions, making the particle beam neutral. The beam proceeds out of the barrel of the rifle at around about 185,000 miles per second, and straight to its target where it damages it through impacting it with great kinetic energy. The final result is a pulsed particle beam of great kinetic power.
Beam Diameter: 1cm. Beam Arc: 0 degrees. Effective Range 4km. Maximum Range: 6km. Minimum Range: It isn’t particularly advised that you fire it within 1 metre. Muzzle Velocity: 185,000 metres per second. Muzzle Blast: There is no specific muzzle flash, however the beam can be visible extremely briefly as a flash of light through the air as the molecules interact with the air.
Firing Mode(s): Single shot semi-automatic (fires a ‘bolt’ every second) or a pulsed beam lasting for two seconds but requiring three seconds before re-firing (this mode is not particularly good for the rifle.)
Recoil: The recoil is less than one might expect given that the kinetic energy is being transferred to a great number of atoms and that the overall weight of the hydrogen is significantly less than that of a bullet. However the velocity involved means that the recoil is still around the same as a standard rifle.
Damage Description: This particle beam causes damage through a process similar to that of a cue ball transferring its energy to the racked balls in a game of billiards – with its kinetic energy it transfers this energy to those atoms it hits, and they transfer this energy and so forth. Thus the target object is super-heated almost instantly and there is commonly an explosion.
Tier: Tier 3, Heavy Anti-Personnel
Name: Hydrogen Capsules. Visual Description: The Hydrogen capsules take the form of a hexagonal collection of metal cylinders, each containing highly concentrated hydrogen. The capsules are inserted in through the right hand side of the weapon. Ammo: 50 rounds.
Name: Battery. Visual Description: The battery for the Atromos is a medium sized rectangular metallic box which slots into the left hand side of the rifle. Charge: 50 rounds.
Safety: Yes. The safety has to be deactivated through vocal command or pressing one of three buttons on the top of the rifle. The safety button is the on to the left. The weapon is designed so that if the safety mechanism is damaged it will be capable of firing.
Fire mode selector: Going between the two firing modes can achieved through the use of the center of the three buttons or by vocal command.
Weapon Sight: A sight extends from the top of the rifle, however it is encompassed by the body of the rifle rather than extending above it as a semi-separate features, a so called ‘shrouded sight’. This sight contains several systems. It is telescopic, has a ‘red-dot’ system and also has an activated ‘gyro gunsight’ system where it compensates for the movement of the target allowing for more accurate fire at moving targets. This last feature is activated through vocal command or through pressing the right of the three buttons.
Attachment Hard points: The Atromos comes with a bayonet which can be attached to the end. This bayonet is 1’6” long and is composed of carbon nano-tubes, thus being as strong as diamond and as sharp. It can be used as a weapon independent of the Atromos, but normally fits in to the end of the weapon.
Really cool built in thingy: The Atromos has a primitive built in computer capable of recognising voice commands and compensating for the movement of targets to a limited degree. The computer is displayed on a small display panel on the top of the gun which constantly supplies the amount of ammo and charge left in a quiet glow (unless ordered no to).
Field Maintenance Procedure: The weapon is fairly low maintenance in the field and tampering around with the insides is not to be advised. Replaceable Parts and components: The weapon is pretty much self-contained, its compactness meaning that getting specific replaceable parts is not overly easy. Normally a soldier will simply be issued another one while the old one is repaired.
The Atromos is an interesting combination between ruggedness and elegance – the basic of the weapon is that of a simple rifle with an eye for compactness and simplicity, but around this the features of the weapon are elegant – the very body of the gun has flowing elements.
There is no protruding barrel, and the weapon is very much centred around the body – the butt and stock do not extend far out of the weapon giving it a particularly compact look. A sight extends from the top of the rifle, however it is encompassed by the body of the rifle rather than extending above it as a semi-separate features, a so called ‘shrouded sight’. Underneath the weapon extends a single grip with the trigger immediately in front of it.
The weapon has several aesthetic features such as a series of shallow grooves running down the body of the gun and a general grace of curves and a fluidic feel of the piece.
The Atromos Particle Beam Rifle was developed as part of a general review of Elysia’s Infantry.